Slide bar for hawaiian guitar



June 4, 1968 w. E. s lTH 3,386,325

SLIDE BAR FOR HAWAIIAN GUITAR Filed May 5, 1966 United States Patent 3,386,325 SLIDE BAR FOR HAWAIIAN GUITAR Walter E. Smith, Caldwell, Idaho 83605 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 459,551, May 28, 1965. This application May 3, 1966, Ser. No. 547,225

Claims. (Cl. 84-319) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A slide bar for a Hawaiian guitar has a finger contacting retainer fixed to the bar at right angles, the retainer providing a ring at one side of the bar for reception of a finger, and being provided with a projection on the other side of the bar to overlie another finger, to facilitate manual grasping of the slide bar and operation on strings in either a horizontal or inclined plane.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 459,551 filed May 28, 1965.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the lute type and is particularly directed to improvements in a slide bar of the type used on the strings of a Hawaiian guitar.

So-called Spanish type guitars are commonly played by a musician while in standing position. The musician plucks or strums the strings with one hand while forming chords by pressing fingers of the other hand against the Strings. This type of instrument has great appeal for entertainers because the motions of the hands of the musician are plainly visible to the audience and because the musician may walk about while playing the instrument. Conventional Hawaiian type guitars, on the other hand, must be played while the musician is sitting down, because one of the musicians hands is used to slide a steel bar along the length of the strings while the strings are plucked or strummed by the fingers of the other hand. The conventional Hawaiian guitar cannot be played while the musician is standing up, because the strings then lie in a substantially vertical plane and it in not possible to operate the slide bar properly when the plane of the strings is vertical.

In my copending application, identified above, there is disclosed a novel type Hawaiian guitar in which the plane of the strings is inclined rather than vertical, so that the instrument may be played with a slide bar by a musician in standing position.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novel form of slide bar particularly adapted for use with a guitar having strings in an inclined plane.

Another object of this invention is to provide a slide bar having a novel form of finger-contacting retainer which functions to prevent slipping of the slide bar device from the fingers of the musician.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View showing a slide bar device embodying this invention, and showing it in position on the strings of a guitar, the fingers of the musician being shown in phantom lines.

FIGURE 2 is a top view.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the lines 33 as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation showing how the slide bar device is grasped by the fingers of the musician.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing how the slide bar may be lifted from the strings by rocking motion around one of the fingers contacting the strings.

Referring to the drawings, the slide bar device generally designated includes a tapered metal bar 11 having a retainer 12. The retainer 12 extends transversely to the length of the bar 11 and is secured to the bar at a location between its ends by means of a threaded fastener 13. The retainer 12 is conveniently formed of a metal wire 14 having a non-metal covering 15. The retainer 12 has a loop 16 encircling a projecting portion of the fastener 13.

At one side of the fastener 13 the retainer is curved to form a ring 17 which partially encircles the index finger 18 of the hand of the user. This ring 17 is not continuous but, on the contrary, is open at one side adjacent the bar 11 and the fastener 13, as shown at 19, so that the size of the ring may be adjusted to fit the index finger of the user. The underside of the last joint of the middle finger 20 receives the protrusion formed by the upper end of the fastener 13 and the loop 16.

The retainer 12 includes a lateral projection 21 which overlaps and contacts the fourth finger 22. In operation the slide bar device 10 is grasped by the fingers of the user and is placed so that the outer surface 23 of the bar 11 slidably contacts the strings 24 of the musical instrument. While the strings 24 are all in the same plane, the plane may be horizontal or inclined. The slide bar device 10 is moved back and forth along the strings 24 in sliding contact, in the manner of playing a Hawaiian guitar. The fingers 22 and 25 of the user also contact the strings to dampen their vibration at one side of the location of the bar 11. As shown in FIGURE 1, the thumb 26 need not contact the side of the bar 11 and this affords visibility to the user of the position of the fret marks (not shown) on the neck of the guitar which underlies the strings 24. The ring 17 and lateral projection 21 are of great assistance in properly manipulating the slide bar device 10, particularly when the plane of the strings 24 is inclined.

As shown by the arrows in FIGURE 5, the slide bar device 10 is readily lifted away from the strings 24 by a rocking motion or pivotal action around the finger 22 which remains in contact with the strings 24.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set .forth but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slide bar device for use on the strings of a guitar, or the like, comprising: a bar having an outer surface for sliding contact with the strings, a retainer extending transversely of the length of the bar, means fixing the retainer to the bar to prevent relative movement therebetween, said bar being the sole string-contacting element, the retainer including a ring spaced from one side of the bar for reception of a finger of the hand of the user, and the retainer also including a lateral projection on the other side of the bar to overlie another finger of the users hand.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the bar is formed of metal and is tapered end to end, and wherein the retainer is formed by a metal wire.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the ring is open on one side adjacent the bar for size adjustment.

4. A slide bar device for use on the strings of a guitar, or the like, comprising: a bar having an outer surface for sliding contact with the strings, a retainer extending transversely of the length of the bar, means fixing the retainer to the bar at a location between the ends of the bar, said bar being the sole string-contacting element, said means forming a protrusion extending from the bar to be accepted by the underside of the last joint of the middle finger of the hand of the user, the retainer including a ring spaced from one side of the securing means for reception of the index finger, and the retainer also including a lateral projection on the other side of the 3 4 securing means to overlie another finger of the user's References Cited hand, whereby the bar may be manipulated without re- UNITED STATES PATENTS quiring contact by the thumb of the user. 2,461,232 2/1949 Pulsifer 5. The combination 'set forth in claim 1 in which the proportions of the parts are such that when the bar is in 5 RICHARD H WILKINSON Primary Emmi-"en contact with the strings, the finger which underlies the lateral projection may simultaneously contact the lateral STEPHEN TOMSKY Exammer' projection, the side of the bar, and said strings. E. C. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner. 

